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Find a Babysitter Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane near you

To find a babysitter in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth or Brisbane you’ll need to know where to look and what to look for. The first is easy, In Home Care Services Direct has trustworthy and reliable babysitters near you, ready and willing to help. Now let's discuss the main points to look for when choosing a Babysitter or Nanny.

Now let’s look at what to look for in a babysitter.

Here are a few characteristics to look for ...

1. Trustworthiness 2. Reliability 3. Good natured 4. Calm 5. Enjoy your children and they her 6. Able to comply with your house rules 7. Know what to do in an emergency

Qualifications

8. Experienced 9. Have a Working With Children certificate or equivalent 10. Have a current Police Check

You may have a longer list of what is important to you but let’s just look at these basics. Qualifications you can check (see our resources page for how to check for WWC and Police Checks) and references can tell you about their experience. How are you going to measure these characteristics?

Once again references will help with this information, but perhaps your best judge will be your children and your gut. There are a number of questions to ask your babysitter to determine who is a good sitter for your children. It’s probably a good idea to get answers to some questions before you have your children meet the sitter.

Consider asking these questions

of your babysitter to establish if

they are a good fit for your family.

• What was your favourite memory with your last family/child?This question is the perfect ice breaker. The answers that quickly come to mind will show what makes an impression in the sitter’s mind and therefore, what is important to them.

• Do you think its ok to spank a child?No matter your parenting choices, it's a good idea to see if their reactions match your views on the subject.

• Have you ever dealt with a crisis while you were babysitting? Tell me about it.This helps you to determine if she knows what to do in the event of an emergency and how she would handle it. Interviews can make people nervous and feel under pressure so ‘how’ the sitter chooses to answer will give you a good indication of how she handles pressure.

• How much screen-time do you this is acceptable for a child?Will they be using the TV to entertain the kids while she's texting her friends? How does she plan to entertain the kids outside of using electronics?

• What are some of your favourite activities for children?This is a great question to follow the previous one. You may find that the sitter answers this question while answering the question above. Playing video games, going on nature walks, doing crafts, baking...her answers will tell you what her interests are, and you can determine if your kids will enjoy her activities.

• Are there any reasons why you would be unable to lift or pick up my child?If she is unable to lift your child that would be a problem in an emergency situation so it is worth discussing this question.

• Are you ok with pets?If you have pets, this is an important question to ask. They may be allergic or not willing to work in a home with pets, so be sure to discuss this up front.

Do you charge extra for longer or later hours, or for additional children? These topics should be discussed ahead of time, so no one is surprised when it comes up.When you have covered off all your questions and you are happy with the sitter the biggest interview aspect can now be introduced. A meeting with your children.Watch your child’s reaction when you tell them this sitter may be coming to care for them in the future. Watch also the sitter’s reaction to your child. If this part of the interview is successful, you can be more confident in your choice.

When you finally decide on your Babysitter there are a few things you’ll need to leave with them before you leave them alone with your child.

Be sure to show your sitter:• All the exits• Location of first aid supplies• Location of fire extinguisher, flashlights

The most important part of the interview is… if there’s anything about the sitter that makes you nervous or uncomfortable then he or she is not a good fit. Your intuition or gut feeling is the best indicator. Children too have a terrific sense of who is safe to be around and who isn’t. Don’t dismiss their opinions and discuss their responses with them.The sitter too must feel good about the arrangement. If you’re all set to go, and they aren’t, it just means that they believed it wasn’t a match for some reason. Just move onto the next candidate until everyone is happy.

The wonderful thing about our platform is that you can view candidates full profile and ask as many questions as you like before meeting the person. This saves time and energy for both parties and does a lot to shorten the interview stage. Plus, you don't have to have money lying around the house as you can use our platform for payments. Find your new babysitter now

In Home Care Services Direct does not employ, recommend or endorse any caregiver or care seeker. Nor is it responsible for the conduct of any caregiver or care seeker. In Home Care Services Direct provides information and tools to help care seekers and caregivers connect and make informed decisions. Each individual is solely responsible for selecting an appropriate caregiver or care seekers for themselves or families and for complying with all appropriate laws in connection with any employment relationship they establish. In Home Care Services Direct does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or engage in any conduct that requires a professional licence.